Dempsey is in limbo with Fulham, eyeing move to Liverpool.

By Robert Wagman (in Washington, D.C.)SoccerTimes

(Wednesday, August 22, 2012) -- Things are not ending well for United States midfielder Clint Dempsey at Fulham, if in fact they are ending.

Dempsey, who was leading scorer last season for the English Premier League club, is in the final year of his current contract. He has turned down a new four-year contract with a substantial raise saying he wants to play for a team that has or will likely qualify for the European Champions League.

After much back and forth over the summer, it looked like Dempsey was heading for Liverpool and he might still wind up there. Dempsey has said that is where he is going and Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers told the media he wanted Dempsey.

However, Fulham has said it would not part with Dempsey unless it received a top-dollar transfer fee. So far, none has been agreed to.

Fulham manager Martin Jol lashed out at Liverpool on Friday for failing to follow up its initial interest in Dempsey with a firm bid for the player. Jol said the situation made it "impossible" for Dempsey to stay at Craven Cottage.

Fulham opened its season by thrashing visiting Norwich City 5-0 with Dempsey's likely replacement Mladen Petric getting a pair of goals. The media reported that Dempsey had reused to play and that he was fined by the club. Near the end, the crowd was chanting, "Are you watching Clint Dempsey?"

Afterward, Jol said that Dempsey had not refused to play and that he and the Dempsey had jointly decided it would be best if he didn't. "What if he were injured," Jol asked.

Jol also said the crowd should not turn against the American.

It seems that Jol is leaving the door open for Dempsey to remain with Fulham. "There is nothing on the table from Liverpool," he said. "Maybe, Clint knows more than us, but we feel he should stay if there is no other bid."

In other transfer news, it looks as if U.S. midfielder Maurice Edu will move to Ipswich Town of England's second-tier League Championship.

FC Rangers manager Ally McCoist confirmed that Ipswich had sent Edu a contract, but that he had not signed it yet, apparently still hoping for an offer from Valencia in Spain. None has been forthcoming and Edu seems headed south.